Some others I liked:A Few Seconds of Panic by Stefan Fatsis. A buddy goes through Denver Broncos training camp as a place kicker.Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem. Cool story about a detective with Tourette's Syndrome.The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. Black boy and white boy growing up as best friends in Brooklyn.The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Classic book mixing fiction and non- on Vietnam and its aftermath on soldiers.Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien. Wow. Another Vietnam classic I should have read much earlier about a private who deserts his post to walk 8,000 miles to Paris for peace talks.Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. Terrorists in South America bust into a lavish birthday party for the vice president and hold hostage dozens, including the world's greatest soprano opera singer.Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan. Wild story about life in a Tasmanian penal colony.Bill Graham Presents. Memoir of the rock promoter.American Chestnut by Susan Freinkel. Natural history of the rise and fall of the great tree that once dominated the Eastern American landscape.Falconer on the Edge by Rachel Dickinson. Profile of the nation's best falconer, who trains raptors to kill grouse in Wyoming.Shell Games by Craig Welch. Life and death among Pacific Northwest gangstas trying to make millions cornering the worldwide market on giant clams.Without a Paddle by Warren Richey. Memoir of a 50-year-old guy fresh off a divorce who tries to heal himself by entering a three-week kayak paddle race around Florida.

And if you have boys at home, you have to get Backyard Ballistics by William Gurstelle. How to blow up potatoes and other stuff with common goods from Home Depot.

Just finished King of Travelers: Jesus' Lost Years in India - Edward T. MartinOf particular interest since for one who has been or will be trekking in Nepal and Ladakh.My trek group visited the Hemis monastery in Ladakh mentioned in the book. Also of interested since I had not heard these theories before. I recommend.Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition - John RoskellyAnother big mountain expedition story, well written. I recommend again.

Currently reading All the President's Men and just ordered the following:

The Scarlet LetterYou Are Here: Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon, But Get Lost in the MallAnd the Sea Will TellWhale Warriors: The Battle at the Bottom of the World to Save the Planet's Largest MammalsJulius CaesarDevil in the White CityOrthodoxyService Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping WaiterWhy We Buy: The Science of ShoppingHistory of Philosophy (volumes 7 & 8 )

Just got done reading "Instand Karma" by local ski bum/writer/etc Wayne Sheldrake , very interesting take on basing your life around skiing, as well as growing up around Wolf Creek and skiing the Sand Dunes.

Other notables :

High Exposure - David BrashearLone Survivor - Marcus Luttrell - incredible (and very unfortunate) story of a SEAL team in AfghanistanWalk in the Woods - Bill BrysonEiger Dreams - Jon KrakauerGates of Fire - Stephen Pressfield - detailed account of the 300 Spartans and much much more......Savage Nation - Michael Savage

And of course "Halfway to Heaven" was an interesting, amusing and quick read.

I'm halfway through "Beyond the Mountain" by Steve House. A decent climber memoir. Also started "The Last Of His Kind", the biography of Brad Washburn by David Roberts (my favorite mountaineering author). Awesome book about one of the great American climbers.

I just remembered that I haven't finished "Borderline" by Nevada Barr. Her novels are good outdoor-oriented murder/mystery stuff, although I hope most National Park rangers don't face that much mayhem routinely.

ooohhh... That sound super useful for my research. I read a review online that says it's an easy read. Is that true?

Yeah, it's definitely an easy read for an algorithms book. It covers a lot of ground for 600 pages, though, so it's not as in depth as something like "Introduction to Algorithms." In fact, the second half of the book is just a catalog of algorithms, giving an overview of what the algorithm's all about, similar algorithms, pointers to more information, and usually listing some implementations.

If you're doing cutting algorithm research you'll probably be disappointed, but if you just need a good general overview of algorithms it's excellent. The references and pointers in the second half of the book could be useful in either case.